island transit comprehensive plan (draft) status report
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THE GOODMAN CORPORATION. Island Transit Comprehensive Plan (DRAFT) Status Report. Intermodal Transportation Committee. October 23, 2013. Outline. Purpose Operational Findings Public/Stakeholder Input Operational Alternatives Bus Stop Infrastructure - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Island Transit Comprehensive Plan
(DRAFT) Status Report
Intermodal Transportation Committee
THE GOODMAN CORPORATION
October 23, 2013
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• Purpose• Operational Findings• Public/Stakeholder Input• Operational Alternatives• Bus Stop Infrastructure• Marketing Recommendations• Policy Recommendations• Maintenance Review• Next Steps
Outline
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• Evaluate efficiency, coverage of existing services
• Recommend operational improvements
• Ascertain public and stakeholder opinion about Island Transit services
• Evaluate maintenance practices• Evaluate other areas (capital,
infrastructure, marketing, policies, personnel), recommend improvements
Purpose
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Operational Findings• Excellent coverage overall• Ridecheck
– Comprehensive understanding of how, where, and when riders are using the system
– All 279 weekly bus trips ridden by data collectors, noting passenger boarding/de-boarding activity
– No identified “peak” (e.g., commuter hours) – rather, IT is an “all day” system
– Highest productivity: Rt 6 (27 passengers/trip, weekdays)
– Lowest productivity: Rt 4 (7.6 passengers/trip, weekdays)– Some schedule adherence issues
• All recommended schedule/route changes developed in context of ridecheck results– Maximize riders positively affected, minimize riders negatively affected
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Public Input
• Public Meetings– Six (6) meetings held (one in each Council District) in May
• Surveying/Interviews– On-board– Public Meetings– Online (Survey Monkey)– Water Bills – Visitors– Stakeholder interviews– 279 total responses from riders, 754 from non-riders
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Public Input – Common Themes• Return to 30-minute frequency• More shelters, benches• Later service at night• Earlier service on Sunday morning• Length, travel time on “combination” routes• Driver courtesy• New buses
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• Approximately 25 interviews conducted• Groups representing seniors, low income, minorities,
schools/colleges, tourism, businesses, others• Common themes:
– “Best kept secret on the Island”– “How do you know how to use the system?”– Not accessible or attractive to tourists– Not engaged with community – Lack of solutions to specialized transit needs– Unsafe stops, not enough benches and shelters– 1-hour headways a burden, reduce ridership– No access to downtown Houston– No access to Social Security office– Buses old, unattractive to choice riders
Stakeholder Input
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Current Operations• Seven (7) fixed routes
─ 30-min headways on Route 2, 30/30/60 on Routes 5 & 6. All other routes on 60-min headways
─ Seven (7) buses used─ 33,157 annual revenue hours
• Other services─ Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART)─ Victory Lakes, Mall of the
Mainland P&Rs─ UTMB Shuttle─ Cruise Ship Shuttles
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Desirable Service Adjustments• Headways• Span of Service• Limited service on Seawall and Broadway• Direct service between Route 7 and
Downtown• Route 7 transfers
─ Depending on final destination, some Route 7 passengers must transfer twice
• Travel time on “combination” routes• Temporal service gaps
─ e.g., Target/TAMU on Rt 1, DPS on Rt 3, Fort Crockett on Rt 5• Limited service to TAMU• Service to new Galveston College campus
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Operational Alternatives• No capital, cost impacts:
– Re-route and re-time all routes to move to new Downtown Transit Terminal
– Minor Route 5 re-routing and re-scheduling in Fort Crockett area
• Extend late night service by one hour, operate Sunday service one hour earlier and one hour later – Additional 765 weekday, 156
Saturday, 336 Sunday annual revenue hours (1,257 total)
– No additional buses required
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Operational Alternatives (cont’d)• Combine Routes 1 and 7, alter Route 1 for more
Broadway coverage– One-seat ride between Route 7 area and
Downtown– Net savings of 418 annual revenue hours
• Extend Route 3 to Galveston College on Broadway– Running time ↑ from 45 mins to 60 mins
• Add new Route 8 – Increased service to TAMU– One additional bus required– ~ 3,692 additional annual revenue hours
• Redesign and re-schedule Route 1/3/4/2 combination route– ~ 1,965 additional annual revenue hours
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Operational Alternatives (cont’d)• Restore Routes 1, 3, 5, and 6 to 30-minute
headways – Four (4) additional buses required– ~ 13,260 additional annual revenue hours
• Cost effectiveness of all options currently being evaluated
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Bus Stop Infrastructure Shelters• Approximately 290 bus stops system wide; 22
currently have shelters• Recommendation: install shelter in locations with
10+ daily boardings– 13 locations (based on ridecheck data)– Will bring total to 35 stops with shelters
(~12%), but 56% of boardings would occur from sheltered stop
Benches• Recommendation: install bench in locations with 5-9
daily boardings• 31 locations• At least 75% of boardings would occur from a stop
with a shelter or a bench
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Bus Stop Infrastructure (cont’d)
Bus Stop Signs• Current signs are inconspicuous
“No Parking” signs with bus icon• Recommendation: Better signs
– Route #– Island Transit phone #,
website– Route, schedule info at
busiest stops– Island Transit branding
Other signage• On par with new CVB signage
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Marketing Recommendations
• Full roll-out of 2012 re-branding components• Website overhaul
– Existing site not favorably regarded by public• Route Maps/Schedules
– Update when route/schedule changes implemented
– Add major destinations, activity centers– Make more widely available
• Social Media
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Policy Recommendations
• Eliminate “Flag Stops”• Evaluate allowable transfer locations• Level of Service
– 30-minute frequency • Fleet Composition & Equipment
– Low-Floor Vehicles– Automatic Passenger Counters– Fare Cards
• Personnel– Pay, Training, Career Ladder– Full-time vs. Part-time– Morale– Public Information Officer
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Maintenance Review
• Last review in 2003
• Evaluate maintenance program, database, fluid consumption, preventative maintenance, staffing levels/schedule, staff training, facility maintenance, capital needs
• Recommendations in work
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• Finalize recommended options
• Develop capital and operating finance/implementation strategy
• Brief Council, City staff, City Finance Committee
• Public meetings
Next Steps
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Intermodal Transportation Committee
THE GOODMAN CORPORATION
October 23, 2013
Yvonne [email protected](713) 951-7951